Glancing back over the past year, plenty of 'Oh, wow!' moments spring to mind. Whether it was the mirror-like movements of celestial bodies during the total solar eclipse in April or more Earth-bound machinations like the record number of national elections held across the world this year, 2024 was filled with big moments.
A lot happened here at Dalhousie, too, as it seems to every year. The hundreds of stories we've published here on Dal News over the past 12 months reveal just how much our university and its people were up to, a lot of it intersecting with the wider world.
Researchers cast fresh perspectives on lingering global problems. Students stepped up for the community and gained new opportunities. Experts helped us understand world events. University leaders and staff members enacted changes to build a better university for all.
You'll get a glimpse of this activity by scanning the 35 stories below, which include some of our most-read articles, our biggest news, and stories that help capture the year that was. We hope you enjoy reading or revisiting them as we prepare to embark on a new year ahead. You can visit our full 2024 archives here for a look back at other Dal events and happenings this year.
COMMUNITY/ADVANCEMENT / January 11
Introducing the Oulton‑Stanish Centre: Dalhousie names new event centre after two alumni Tigers
The new home of the Dalhousie Tigers women's and men's hockey teams and the ringette team now has a name: the Oulton-Stanish Centre, named after two alumni who were members of Dal's Sport Hall of Fame.
CIVIC IMPACT/HEALTH CARE / January 29
Dal launches Atlantic Canada’s first Master of Nursing program in mental health and addictions
The program, which launched this fall, provides nurses currently working in the field with an opportunity to gain advanced skills and deepen their clinical and leadership expertise.
LEADERSHIP / February 8
Dal’s new head of people and culture champions respect and openness
Alum Grace Jefferies-Aldridge (BA’00) draws on her personal and professional experience to help build a more inclusive university where relationships are paramount.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION / March 13
Powering up: First‑in‑Canada battery innovation centre to provide critically needed facility for research and industrial development
Canadian battery science is about to get a turbocharge with the creation of the country’s first university-based battery prototyping and testing facility — a game-changer that will also be a magnet for industry in urgent need of the sophisticated equipment and the expertise to operate it.
ADVANCEMENT / April 3
Dalhousie new fundraising initiative, the largest ever among Atlantic Canadian universities, aims to build a better future for everyone.
DAL EXPERTS/POPULAR SCIENCE / April 5
Ask an expert: The total solar eclipse, explained
This year's total solar eclipse fascinated the world. Dr. Manuel Helbig, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Science’s Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, explained what causes the phenomenon, why they are so rare, and other questions.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT / April 11
Saluting Dal's top student leaders: Introducing the 2024 Board of Governors' Award winners
The Dal community is full of amazing students who inspire their peers, lead by example and make a difference in their communities. But for those students who truly go above and beyond, there’s Dalhousie’s Board of Governors’ Award — the university’s top honour in student life. Meet the four students recognized this year for their outstanding achievements.
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COMMUNITY AND CULTURE / April 17
Sacred Teachings showcased in new public art on Killam Library
Seven circular paintings by Millbrook artist Lorne Julien installed on the Killam's exterior are more than just decorative pieces — they symbolize the Seven Sacred Teachings of the Mi'kmaq or L'nu'k.
CIVIC IMPACT/RESEARCH / April 24
Watershed moment: Atlantic First Nations Water Authority partners with Dalhousie to deliver world‑class water treatment
A new $4.3 million NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate Grant will support a partnership between the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority and Dalhousie to help the organization in its mission to deliver world-class drinking water and treatment guided by Indigenous knowledge and values.
COMMUNITY/CIVIC IMPACT / MAY 3
Lifting Nova Scotia workshop showcases Dal’s impact in surprising new ways
Hundreds of members of the Dal community converged on the Weldon Law Building for a day of learning, connection, and serendipity in April — bringing forth new ideas for strengthening Dal's connections and impact in Nova Scotia.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP / May 17
Bringing everyone on board: 3M National Student Fellow pushes for more inclusive learning experiences
Basmah Hendy, a third-year Neuroscience student, received one of Canada's top student honours for her impressive efforts to make learning more accessible — whether that's starting her own high school mentorship program or helping develop visual-assistance tools for a fellow student.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION / May 23
Harnessing the power of viruses to kill cancers
In collaboration with leading cancer experts, Dalhousie scientists created a roadmap for the safe development of viruses to fight the deadly disease.
COMMUNITY AND CULTURE / May 29
Dress code, flexible: A presidential robe reimagined in time for Convocation
Dal President Kim Brooks recruited a Costume Studies student to create a new design for her ceremonial garb, one that better reflects the land Dal sits on, the university's values, and her own identity.
HEALTH CARE / June 12
Bucking the national trend: More Dal med grads opting for careers in family medicine
Half of Dalhousie Medical School’s graduates this year began their residency training in family medicine, marking a significant increase since 2018 when only 25 per cent of the class chose that career path.
GLOBAL RANKINGS / June 12
Impact Rankings 2024: Dalhousie ranks 65th globally for tackling some of the world's biggest issues
Dalhousie scaled new heights against nearly 2,000 other universities in this year's rankings, placing in the top 20 globally for its work in support of life below water, top 30 globally for zero hunger, and top 50 for life on land.
RESEARCH/DAL EXPERTS / July 10
Great White North: Documentary featuring Dal vet explores increase in Nova Scotian shark activity
Dalhousie veterinarian Dr. Chris Harvey-Clark was featured in a prominent "Shark Week" documentary exploring the dramatic increase in great white shark activity in Canadian East Coast waters.
RESEARCH/CIVIC IMPACT / July 11
Through the looking glass: Dal's Aquatron at 50
Fifty years after opening, Canada’s largest university aquatic research facility continues to inspire the next generation of researchers and conservation scientists in bold new ways.
RESEARCH/CIVIC IMPACT / July 26
Dal Solutions: Dalhousie study helps give Nova Scotia pharmacists the power to directly prescribe HIV prevention drug
Canadians have access to a drug that prevents HIV infection, but it's not getting into the hands of those who need it most. Dalhousie’s Dr. Kyle Wilby is tackling the issue by collaborating with policymakers to make Nova Scotian pharmacists among the first in the country with the ability to prescribe the lifesaving medication.
ALUMNI EXPERIENCE / August 19
A fairy‑tale job: Bringing the magic of engineering to the happiest place on Earth
In a world of timeless tales and Cinderella’s castle, a young Dalhousie engineering graduate is doing her part to put smiles on the faces of millions of people at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
SUSTAINABILITY / September 4
Free finds: Dal hosts first Free Store
More than 700 students shopped at Dal’s first Free Store over move-in weekend, diverting approximately 3.5 tonnes of items from landfill and contributing to a circular economy on campus.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION / September 5
Dal researchers to lead national team to modernize Canada’s soil data infrastructure
Soil plays a massive role in combating climate change by storing carbon. Now, a historic grant — the largest ever awarded to Dal's Faculty of Agriculture — will help a team of Dal researchers improve Canada's ability to make the most of this nature-based solution to a warming climate.
STUDENT LIFE/NEW BUILDINGS / September 9
Dal plans new residence to meet growing student housing needs
Dalhousie expects to begin site preparation for a new six-storey student residence in Halifax next spring that will accommodate approximately 200 students living on campus.
RESEARCH/SOCIAL IMPACT / September 19
Porn’s new program: Dal legal scholar's new book focuses on the shift to algorithms and legal frameworks to tame them
Dr. Elaine Craig's Mainstreaming Porn: Sexual Integrity and the Law Online explores how law, policy, and social measures can address the harmful consequences of algorithm-driven mainstream porn.
COMMUNITY/STUDENT EXPERIENCE / September 25
Inside Dalhousie's first Innovation Week
Fifteen innovation-inspired events. More than 1,500 participants. More bold ideas than you can imagine. Learn more about what went down in September during a week brimming with transformative potential.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION / October 24
Dal Solutions: Breakthrough poised to transform wastewater treatment worldwide
Dalhousie researchers and their industrial partners piloted the world’s first municipal-scale UV LED reactor for wastewater treatment, a groundbreaking innovation that has set the stage for a revolution in how wastewater is treated worldwide.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE/RESEARCH / October 28
New doctoral scholarship program to expand PhD opportunities and research impact at Dalhousie
Dalhousie established a new $3.2-million Dalhousie Research Excellence Scholarship to support PhD students and increase their enrolment over the next three years.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION / November 7
Dr. Rita Orji wins Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship, NSERC's most prestigious prize for early‑career researchers
The Arthur McDonald Fellowship recognizes the computer scientist's groundbreaking work in personalized and adaptive digital interventions powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning and is accompanied by a research grant of $250,000 over the next two years.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE / November 12
A new era of student support dawns at Dal
An exciting new support team established this year helps students get back on track after setbacks and identifies ways to improve safety and belonging at Dal.
CIVIC IMPACT/RESEARCH / November 14
For the public good: Discovery Award finalists on research that makes a difference
Three Dal faculty members were named finalists for this year's Public Impact Award, recognizing researchers whose work has helped improve the lives of Nova Scotians. What does it mean to have a public impact? We asked them.
TEACHING AND LEARNING / November 15
The classroom can be an intimidating place for some students. Dr. Marion Brown of the School of Social Work strives to ensure everyone feels comfortable and connected in their learning.
ON CAMPUS / November 22
“Democracy erodes from the top, not from the bottom up”: Takeaways from this year’s Stanfield Conversation
Award-winning journalist Doug Saunders and celebrated political scientist Dr. Debra Thompson visited Dal to dig into a question on many minds this fall: what does Donald Trump’s re-election as U.S. president mean for the trajectory of democracy worldwide?
STUDENT EXPERIENCE / November 25
Able After Dal redefines career support for students with disabilities
A new program at Dal assists students and alumni with disabilities as they transition from university life into the workforce.
CIVIC IMPACT/STUDENT LIFE / December 13
Student‑led food security programs boosted by record‑setting fundraiser
Post-secondary schools across Nova Scotia stepped up in a big way on Giving Tuesday this year, raising $343,000 to address student food security.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE/ACCESSIBILITY / December 18
First wheelchair user admitted to Dal medical school catches attention of Good Morning America
Second-year medical student RJ Roggeveen shared his inspiring story with millions on the top U.S. morning show, hoping to motivate others with disabilities to pursue their med-school dreams.